Earlier this year, new artist Pharaoh was awarded with the rising star honor by the Georgia Entertainment Gala. After receiving his award, he gave an energetic performance that resulted in a standing ovation that solidified his new title.
When asked about his career, Pharaoh said he wants to bring authenticity back to pop music and remind music lovers that pop originated with rock ‘n’ roll and even R&B. Pharaoh says genres have gotten mixed up and skewed over the years.
“Somewhere along the way, pop was mis-defined as only ‘bubble gum’ music and [that] separated pop from its initial roots. Pop is just short for popular music. Michael Jackson, Usher and Chris Brown are all ‘pop’-ular artists,” he said. Pop is rich, it’s catchy, it’s soulful, it’s a mixture of so many elements and a lot of times in music we become defined by race as a way to separate us through music. Beyonce is a pop artist and an R&B artist. The Weeknd to me is a pop artist. We have to stop labeling all Black artists as only urban, hip-hop or R&B. Sometimes, we create a genre and it’s later stripped from us; that’s not cool.”
Pharaoh says the current music scene is an exciting time and he appreciates the diversity in artistry from people such as Kendrick Lamar, Tori Kelly, Taylor Swift and fellow Atlanta songstress K. Michelle.
“Music has always been inspirational for me. I’m inspired by artists, people, fans and everything about music. I love my calling and hope to inspire others. I just want to give my all, and put my heart and soul into everything I do. I always watched Michael Jackson videos when I was younger and it was a movie. He puts so much creativity into telling a story and drawing people in and that’s what I want to do,” he said.
Pharaoh’s upcoming single, “All Good,” is dropping in April.
